, 1887-06-01

meant to communicate with her.
We found the thread and attached our
note of reply, first putting out our lights
to avoid discovery. Softly pulling the
thread, we felt a gentle strain in reply,
and the note was pulled up, to reach, we
prayed, the hands Of her who SO ~anxiously
awaited 1t. On our return to the gate 1t
wus Immediately opened when we had
knocked and the guard had recognized our
English voices.
Our letter to the lady contained the fol-
lowing:
The fifth night, counting from to-mor-
row, we will rescue you by a rope ladder.
At l O'Clock we will attach a strong line
TO the end OF your cord Pull this until
the ladder reaches you The line will be
sufficiently strong to bear your weight.
Place the lin over a hook or post, but do
not maxi 1t fast. We will hold the end,
so fear not. The line will be Withdrawn
after your descent, 80 that no one will dis
cover tho manner of you escape. There
will be no moon. Before daybreak you
will be OIL a vessel under way for Eng,
land. II you can devise any other means
or have any suggestions to make you can
communicate as before; we will pass
nightly until we have some token from
you. We are two who have sworn to
save you. One of us will ascend to assist
In our descent IL you desire it. May
God, to whom you have prayed, nerve you
to your task"
The next night we received the follow
Ing answer
Will pull toward you by the cord. I have
a trusted eunuch who will assist me, as his
life belongs to me. Think web of the
danger. 1 have no right to place you In
jeopardy. In case of discovery, n rope
ladder pon you would prove your guilt;
you would be + lzod and disposed OF, none
would NOW how except the headsman.
Your crime and mine arc punishable by
death. My life Is nothing, nor would l be
missed, butlyeu have loved ones at home.
Should you change your mind on the night
will not live to see the Light of another
day. 1 have often meditated this act. l
have felt that God, to whom 1 have always
prayed, would deliver me, n hat I would
DO allowed to thank him in his sanctuary.
Ii you do not find the cord, you may know
that i have been betrayed. II all is safe,
Tho cord will bo Weighted with a silken
purse containing jewels to rowardy you and
80 assist mo In my Escape. Should you
not find this token, 1t will be because l
AVE bean discovered Then be on your
guard against assassination. I shall not
look for you until the hour named"
Mr.. friend, Capt. H, had fallen most
desperately in love. l say desperately, be-
cause he neither slept, ate nor drank, nor
would he give me any rest. 1t wns re-
assuring to me to see q fellow SO far gone;
| had thought myself the only one who
could be so Cracked" He was always at
my heels, and had become my shadow. /
learned bis whole history. The cause OF
his going TO sea was the removal OF q
flnxen haired, blue eyed schoolmate, who
hod haan bta 1Na1oval 1fttla friaal frop, hia
earliest memory. Her parents had moved
to Moscow, and thence, as he was in
formed, to Odessa, from which port he
had last sailed, with a cargo Ct grain for
Falmouth for orders. At Odessa he had
made the most searching inquiries, INT
learned that n family of the same name
had zone to Alexandria about six years
previous. He had been, until our present
adventure, remarkably quiet and difildent.
He had told me that his difidence arose
from the fact that he was almost a woman
hater, and that he never expected to be
happy until he found his early love, whom
he last saw when she was II and he 10
years of age. His interest in the fair
captive was doubtless aroused by the fact
that she strongly resembled his early love.
The eyentful night arrived. 1 gave a
supper at the hotel to allny any suspicion.
Supper was order for twenty, and was
served Mt II O'Clock, which meant an all
night spree. Wine flowed freely, and had
its effect upon our friends. At 10 O'Clock,
by o preconcerted arrangement, a note
was handed to me by q servant pre-
tended that 1t had been sent by my second
officer, and that it announced that my
chief officer had killed one of the crew.
Apologizing for my sudden departure, I
promised to return as soon as possible and
finish the night. My friend, Capt. H.,
insisted upon going with me. I protested,
but he was obstinate, and finally, as the
company insisted that 1t was not safe to
go alone, we two left in company.
We arrived at the gate in our usual APP
parently drunken condition, feed the guard
hberally, and passed through. A few min
utes later we returned and had our cigars
and lanterns lighted, pretending that the
latter had been put out accidentally. They
wers so roady in assisting US that we
goSe them another handful of piasters, and
made them understand not to allow any
one to follow us. They earnestly promised
and we started again, our hearts almost
bursting with rapid pulsation. We found
the cord; q purse was at the end Of 1t. So
far all was safe.
Running to the farther gate as quickly
as possible, we repeated u former STRAIT
egg Of brides, and the guards promised us
NAoS W AAAo w NNNAo IA Nv oAAtSb wv
should pass them. Thus we had the field
to ourselves, with guards on either hand
to protect us from interference.
We returned to tho spot where the purse
lay. 1t was readily discovered by reason
of its b%rillianoy, being worked In gold and
silver threads, A stout cord was attached
to It, We pulled gently Upon the cord
and drew down a ladder made Of silk.
The night was dark, not a star visible.
Thus far everything favored US. We put
a strain upon the ladder with both our
weights 10 keep It from swaying, when
suddenly we felt q heavy burden upon 1t,
and in an instant q man In a white tunic
sprang from tho lndder and seized mo by
both arms, muttering something / could
not understand. Letting go his iron grip
upon me, he took the captain In the same
manner. Then he sprang up the ladder
and disappeared.
We were 80 taken by surprise that we
could not have defended ourselves II occa-
sion had required It. Treachery or not we
did not know, but We stood ut our post.
Presently We felt by the strain on the rope
TINT some one vas again descending.
This time It was the Indy herself. She
sprang lightly TO the ground, and o moment
later came the man who had before de-
seconded. lie was her faithful slave. lie
f.lt - Ii. -. - l--zl A. - ~